An Untimely Reunion
by Pearlthegyrl
Summary: Set after Doomsday. Some changes to the original story. Rose is coping with the loss of The Doctor, two months after she saw his hologram on the beach, when she hears a familiar sound.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who or any of its characters.

Authors note:

Okay I had the idea of this and didn't think of a lot of problems until later, and by then I already really liked the idea. So even though this wouldn't actually work out in the regular story, this is rewrite situation where instead of Rose getting stuck in an alternate universe when The Doctor closed the rift, she got trapped on earth. Somehow closing the rift made it impossible for him to get back to earth. Also in this rewrite she has only met the 10th doctor, and all the things she did with the 9nth Doctor she remembers with the 10th Doctor. This is set after Doomsday, and anything from future episodes does not apply.

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Rose Tyler sat at her kitchen table in sweatpants and an over sized t-shirt, staring listlessly into her cup of tea. She could often be found doing so these days. Ever since the man she called The Doctor, the man she loved, had closed the rift and disappeared from her life forever. Jackie kept nagging her to get a job, to go on dates, to do something, anything. But what was the point? The Doctor had shown her how marvelous and vast the universe was, had made her fall in love with it, and him, and then he had left her with all those beautiful memories, left her in plain old London, on planet Earth. How could she go back to normal life after that? Ever since he had grabbed her hand the first time she met him, she'd known she could never just "go eat her lovely beans on toast." He had changed her, irrevocably so. That day on the beach, after all that trouble of tracking down the exact spot, and he had disappeared without saying the words she needed to hear. He hadn't even been there in person, just his holographic image. You can't kiss light goodbye, can't hold it in your arms. "Oh…my sweet Doctor." Rose whispered, her vision blurring with the start of tears. She pushed back her blond hair with a sigh, and then put her head in her hands, tears and mascara streaking her palms. She sat in this defeated position for several minuets, before a familiar sound graced her ears. She jerked up her head, a smile spreading across her face, "It can't be....IT IS!"

Rose jumped up from her chair so fast she knocked it over, sprinting for the door. She flung it aside and left it ajar behind her, bare feet slapping the pavement desperately until she saw what she was looking for. She stopped, panting for breath, and stared at the beautiful blue box before her. Then, still breathing heavily, she ran inside and threw herself into the startled arms of the man inside. "Doctor it's you! It's you! Oh God I thought I'd never see you again!" The man recovered quickly, hugging her back with equal enthusiasm. "So it is, so it is...." After a few moments he pried himself out of her grasp, and smiled down at her, brown eyes alight with amusement "I'm The Doctor alright....but who are you?

**To be continued**


	2. Chapter 2

Rose's smile froze on her face, and she took a step back. The Doctor continued to beam down at her. "Who am I?" Her face crumpled, lips trembling. "But it's me. It's Rose. Rose Tyler." She looked at him imploringly "You can't have forgotten me…" She clutched the front of his tight fitted pinstriped suit and tugged insistently, "please say you know who I am."

He shook his head, "Sorry love, haven't the slightest idea."

"So…so what, you just forgot me? After everything we've been through together? I was just another companion, after all…and you can't be bothered to remember them all, can you? I guess Sarah Jane was right. But then again, you remembered Sarah Jane." Rose said the last part bitterly.

"Yes, I do remember Sarah Jane." The Doctor said, his face growing serious. "I remember all my companions. I have an excellent memory. I assure you, if I had met you before, I would know. Which leads me to the conclusion that I haven't met you yet. This is a common enough occurrence, nothing to worry about. I'm sure we meet up sometime in the future and have great fun!" He smiled in that irresistible way of his.

"Oh…oh of course…" Realization dawned in her brown eyes, and she wondered why she hadn't thought of that immediately. Comprehending this was the first time The Doctor had met her, Rose suddenly felt very self conscious, and brushed at her face, hoping it wasn't still covered in mascara. She blushed in embarrassment "I suppose that must have been odd…having some random barefoot girl in sweats barge into the Tardis and throw herself at you."

The Doctor shrugged off her words with a grin "Hey, I'll hug anybody! But…the barging into the Tardis bit, now that you mention it, that is odd." He gave her a sidewise glance, cocking an eyebrow, "You wouldn't happen to have a key would you?"

Rose smiled back, tugging a chain around her neck to reveal the aforementioned key, which had been residing beneath her t-shirt.

"Brilliant!" He exclaimed. "I do look forward to meeting you, Rose Tyler. But as for now, I think you had better go." He started ushering her, gently but forcefully, towards the door of the Tardis.

"G-go?! I can't go! I've only just seen you! Why do I have to go?" Rose gasped, trying to pull away from him.

"Well me meeting you now interferes with me meeting you then. It's best if I know as little as possible about our future interaction. It will just have to be a pleasant surprise." As he spoke he pushed her out into the street. "Off you go then!" He gave another dazzling smile and attempted to close the Tardis door in her face.

**To Be Continued**


	3. Chapter 3

Rose wedged her foot in the door and then pried it open, wrestling against The Doctor to get in. "Please, you can't leave yet! Look, isn't there some way you could make sure you don't remember meeting me? You've got your sonic screwdriver! The human brain is basically an organic computer, right? So couldn't you, you know, do your thing, wave it around a bit, and make yourself forget?"

The Doctor stopped fighting her back and gave an admiring whistle. "Rose Tyler, oh, I like you!" He leaned against the side of the door and scratched his head, mussing the already askew brown hair, and appeared to be considering her suggestion. "I suppose maybe a little jiggery-pokery…"

Rose took advantage of his lax position, and shoving him to the side, reentered the Tardis. The Doctor stumbled, and righted himself, watching her turn to him, arms crossed and feet planted firmly on the Tardis floor. "Two months I've been missing you. That might not sound like long, but it was a lifetime to me. You took my heart with you when you left Doctor. I lay in bed but I couldn't sleep, ate but I couldn't taste, couldn't even watch the telly…course that's probably more to do with having my face stolen by one than missing you..." She gave a brief shiver and then returned to her rant. "Everything reminded me of you. I couldn't do anything properly; anything but think of you. And that day on the beach? What kind of goodbye was that? I travel across the world, fueled by dreams of you, to the one spot in the universe where we can reconnect. And then you don't even show up properly. Just your bloody hologram. And you didn't even finish saying it…you were finally gonna say it…that you love-" She broke down, tears spilling down her cheeks, and then yelled the last part "You are not leaving me again. So you just go on and try because I am NOT stepping foot out of this Tardis!"

The Doctor had been silent throughout her speech, his face changing from initial confusion, to sadness at her apparent heartbreak, to a "huh, really now?" look when she said she'd had her face stolen by a television set, to a startled, slightly wary expression when she mentioned the word love, and back to sadness, finally settling on an apologetic, conciliatory one. "Well…I don't know what all you are talking about, though I think I've got the gist…but I suddenly feel very guilty for things I have not yet done." He held out his arms and she fell into them, burying her tearstreaked face in the front of his suit. After a moment she looked up at him, smiling shakily. "So I can stay?"

He looked down at her gravely, his intelligent eyes deadly serious, "This is probably a terrible mistake…but I'll give you one trip."

**To Be Continued **


	4. Chapter 4

Authors note: Italics=thoughts not said aloud.

Reviews would be nice :)

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One trip…not exactly what she was hoping for. Rose fought her disappointment. After all, a trip could take any manner of time…and during that time, she would just have to make him love her all over again. Then he wouldn't want her to leave, not after one trip, not ever. She had done it once, and then she hadn't even been trying…_it couldn't be that hard, could it?_ Trying to look pleased, she gave him a flirtatious smile and said, "If you say so."

The Doctor cocked his head slightly, obviously not getting the joke, and then replied grandly "I do say so."

She laughed, starting out the door "Well how about I go and get some shoes? If we're going to be off in space and time battling Daleks and such I'm going to need shoes." Her laugh died in her throat at the expression of horror on The Doctor's face.

"What did you say?" He gasped, brown eyes haunted.

_Oh no_. She'd forgotten that before he met her he'd thought they were all dead. She tried to cover her mistake, laughing over dramatically. "Oh that was just a joke…I mean it's not like there are any more Daleks. They all died in…ya know," She made a vague gesture, " the… Time war."

"I see." His jaw tightened, and his eyes flamed with sadness and inner rage. "In the future, please keep such jokes to yourself. Daleks are no laughing matter."

"Oh I know! They're terrifying!" At his sharp look she added quickly. "I mean they sound terrifying. From your stories."

He studied her for a moment and then said quietly, "I think you'd better get your shoes."

"I'll do that…right." She said, and stepped outside of the Tardis with mixed feelings, knowing that she had upset him and feeling helpless about what to do about it. She'd have to be careful in the future. This Doctor didn't know her, and he didn't love her. She had to make sure to give him a good impression. She suddenly had a horrible thought. What if she made an awful impression? What if this time around the Doctor disliked her so much that when they met in the future he didn't take her hand, and just left her to the mannequins? _Don't be silly_, she scolded herself. The Doctor would never leave anyone to die. _But he might leave them after he saved them_…this prospect was undeniably true and could not be brushed off as easily. The thought made her midsection knot up. _No!_ She thought fiercely. _That is not going to happen. The Doctor said he could erase his memory. It is all going to work out._ Her spirits lifted at this, and she started towards home, shoving down the little voice in the back of her head that whispered, _actually he said maybe_…

**To Be Continued**


	5. Chapter 5

The walk back home was much slower, and while on the way to the Tardis her feet had been the last thing on her mind, by the time she reached home, they were complaining loudly about the sharp gravel beneath them. Rose stepped gratefully onto the wooden floor and glanced around the house. "Mum, are you here?"

She waited for a reply and then started for her room, muttering "Guess not."She padded onto the pink carpet and gave an audible sigh of relief. Then she turned to the task at hand, "Now…socks…" She found a pair and tried to put them on while searching for her shoes, causing her to fall on the floor. Laughing, she finished putting them on and fished with one hand under her bed "shoes…" she put them on too and stood, picked up her jacket off her dresser, slipped it over her shoulders, and slid her cell phone into a pocket "…all set!" She started back out of her room, full of excitement, and then stopped, standing in the doorway. Was this really the right thing to do? She'd had her time with The Doctor. She should probably just move on. Playing with history like this could be dangerous. _But I don't care. _Rose thought guiltily. _I'd do anything to be with him, even for a short time_. Besides, he was waiting for her. She walked into the kitchen, and after spending a few minuets searching for a pen, wrote a note on a stray napkin and left it on top of the table. "I'm off with The Doctor. Love you! –Rose"

Rose hurried down the street, sprinting, and then running when the Tardis was in sight. She paused, hand on the door, filled with exhilaration. She felt as if she was at the edge of a precipice, about to leap off. She was terrified, she was hopeful, and she was at the point of no return. She pushed open the door and stepped inside.

The Doctor looked up from fiddling with the various levers that controlled the Tardis, face breaking into a grin at the sight of her. "Took you long enough!" He teased. "Are you ready to go?"

She felt a wave of relief. Apparently her mistake from earlier was already forgiven and forgotten. She should have known. He was The Doctor. He wasn't her Doctor yet, but he was The Doctor, and The Doctor was magnificently good and kind. She smiled back, knowing she had made her choice."Yeah, I'm ready."

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**Where do you think The Doctor and Rose should go? Any comments, thoughts, suggestions? I'm going out of town for a couple weeks and won't be able to update. Leave me your ideas in the meantime :)**


	6. Chapter 6

Authers Note: I'm back from my trip and updating finally. Thanks for the messages and reviews :) Sorry its not Barcelona. ;)

Oh, and to the person who commented asking how he changed to the 10th Doctor, as I said, it isn't entirely true to story. She's only ever known the 10th Doctor in this fanfic. If you really need a backstory, imagine in 'The Parting of The Ways' she just expelled all the energy somehow from her pores instead of transferring it to The Doctor and forcing him to regenerate. So she's only known one Doctor.

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Rose barely hung on as the Tardis lurched wildly in flight, and then felt her fingers slipping. She remembered another instance, not that long ago, when she could not hold on to something, and her fingers slipped. Then letting go had pulled her away from The Doctor, seemingly permanently. This time she was thrown into his arms. He laughed amiably, holding her until the Tardis settled to a stop. For a moment there in his arms she felt as if everything was back the way it should be. Then he said, "It's always startling the first time; you'll get used to it."

She stiffened and pulled back, "It's hardly my first time. I've flown with you plenty of times." _And I don't think I'll ever get used to it_.

"Oh that's right, course you have!" He said brightly, either not picking up on her discomfort or choosing to ignore it.

Then he ran over to the Tardis door and held it open with a smile, "After you, mademoiselle."

"You and french women!" Rose snorted and stepped out of the Tardis. After giving her a puzzled look, The Doctor followed.

After stepping outside Rose immediately took off her jacket and tossed it back inside the Tardis before he closed the door. "It's hot." She stated. She dug the toe of her sneaker into the ground, "And sandy...you haven't brought me to..." She looked up with an expression of surprised delight, "A beach?!"

He shifted uncomfortably under her grateful eyes, "Well...no. I mean, its a beach minus the water I guess you could say."

"A beach without the water? Where is there sand, and sun, and no water..." Her face fell. "A desert! You've brought me to a desert!"

"Yes, but it's a very nice desert!" He said defensively. "Posh women come here and bath in the sand pits. Its a kind of resort."

"Oh...well that could be nice I guess." She said consideringly. She looked around, squinting. "I don't see any posh women..."

"Err- well my calculations were a bit off. We seem to have arrived about a mile south of it. That's all right though, shouldn't be too long a walk!" He smiled encouragingly.

Rose groaned, wiping at the sweat already starting to form on her brow. "You have GOT to be kidding me." She ripped a strip of cloth off from the bottom of her shirt to tie up her hair, baring her midriff, and then frowned at the jagged edge. _That is going to be an odd tan line_.

**To Be Continued**


	7. Chapter 7

Tired, hot, and thirsty as she was, Rose couldn't even properly convey her excitement when the resort came in to view. "There!" She gasped, pointing wildly at the building, and nearly fell over in doing so.

"There indeed! So it is." The Doctor smiled back at her calmly.

"Look at you, all cool and collected. You're in a bloody suite and you aren't even sweating!" Rose marveled.

"Completely different body chemistry. I can sustain extreme temperatures without discomfort." He replied easily. She was too out of breath to say anything more and just shook her head, trudging forward.

When they finally reached the building she flung open the door and sank to her knees inside. She felt relief from not being under the direct beam of the sun, but was still too hot for real comfort. "Haven't these people ever heard of air conditioning?" She croaked.

"Nope. In fact..." He gestured toward the ceiling, where she saw rows of heating lights.

She groaned and sprawled out completely on the floor. "These people are crazy."

"Well I imagine you look pretty crazy to them right now. That one over there is definitely staring." The Doctor observed.

Rose sighed, rising from her prostrate position and climbing to her feet. She followed his gaze to a nearby desk, and looked at the person behind it. If it was a person. She took an involuntary step back, eyes widening. The thing behind the desk was tall, slender, and green. Its entire body was covered in scales. It had dull yellow eyes with no lids, and two slits for a nose. As she watched it smiled, though it had no lips, and hissed, "Welcome vissssitorssss," it's forked tongue flicking out of it's mouth to taste the air as it spoke.

"Hello mate!" The Doctor replied, obviously not the slightest bit perturbed by their host's appearance, and stepped up to the desk. He flipped open his psychic paper, "My friend and I have a reservation."

"Yesssss, I sssssseee." The creatures tongue flicked up to moisten it's eyeballs, and it smiled again. "I'll sssssshow you to your roomsssssss." He started down a hallway, and though he walked on two legs there was a distinct slither to his movements. The Doctor followed the creature several paces before realizing that Rose wasn't right behind him, and then he stopped and turned, cocking his head. His brown eyes looked at her invitingly beneath that messy hair she loved so much. "Aren't you coming?"

Rose, though still a little shocked, went to his side without hesitation. She wasn't sure if she wanted to be here...but she was sure she wanted to be with him.

**To Be Continued**


	8. Chapter 8

Rose was both disappointed and relieved to see that their room was furnished with two twin beds. She wouldn't mind sharing a bed with her Doctor...but this new one she wasn't so sure about. It was him...but it was not him. He had no memories of their time together, or the love they shared. (Or rather she hoped they shared.)"He's incomplete." She whispered.

"Now that's a bit species-ist!" The Doctor defended. "If anything he is overcomplete- a hybrid of several species."

Rose was completely lost for a moment, before realizing he thought she was referring to their reptilian host.

"Um.." She began, not sure how to respond. She didn't have to worry about it however, as The Doctor's attention was quickly drawn away from her by something else.

"Little mints! Oh I love it when they have little mints!" He exclaimed joyfully, plucking the mint in question from his pillow. He unwrapped it dramatically and popped it in his mouth. He closed his eyes and held up a finger, waiting a moment before pronouncing like he was a connoisseur of little mints (and for all she knew he was), "Just the right amount of sweetness with a little kick to it."

Rose couldn't help but smile. He was so adorable. "I'll bet they have a little shop too." She said, and was rewarded with a grin.

"You do know me well...don't you?" The Doctor said musingly, and considered her with sympathetic eyes. "I'm sorry I don't have the memories you want me to...I'm sorry I'm incomplete."

Rose realized that he must have known who she meant after all, and was only making the "species-ist" comment as a joke. It was downright spooky how he always seemed to know everything. "You're so clever...." Rose looked down in shame. "It's me who should apologize Doctor...that wasn't fair of me."

"Wasn't it?" He asked, lifting her chin. They both stared into each others eyes silently for several moments before he abruptly broke the stillness, "Alright then- time for a sand bath!"

"Now?" Rose groaned. "We haven't even tried out these lovely beds. I think its time for a nice long nap."

The Doctor's shoulders slumped and he gave her a dejected look, "A nap...really?"

"Yes." Rose replied firmly. "A nap."

"Well alright." He said with a shrug, flopped onto his bed still dressed, and closed his eyes without another word. He obviously wasn't quite as dejected over the news as he had wanted her to believe, or recovered from it awfully fast.

Rose stared at his still form in astonishment for a moment before following suit. Once in bed she turned on her side, watching the rise and fall of his chest from across the room until she too drifted off.

**To Be Continued**


	9. Chapter 9

The Doctor perched on his twin bed with pursed lips, his intelligent brown eyes held with fascination on Rose Tyler's sleeping form in the other bed. Her peroxide blonde hair had escaped her makeshift ponytail, and spilled across her pillow. Her necklace had also slipped out of her tshirt, revealing the little silver key. He'd had a stray thought that sleeping with a necklace could result in strangulation, but brushed it aside as she seemed to be a peaceful sleeper. Her rosy lips parted suddenly, and she murmured "Doctor…" He tensed, before realizing she was dreaming.

Dreaming of him apparently. What was this little pink and yellow human to his future self? He absentmindedly rubbed at his lightly stubbled chin. He felt protective of her. This wasn't exactly unusual, as he felt protective of life in general…but she was different. He could feel it. She said he loved her in the future. That he had almost told her so before being interrupted by…what? He put that to the side for later, pondering the fact that he had been going to say it at all. He'd been married once, a long time ago. He hadn't felt love since, at least not that kind of love. This human claimed to have inspired the emotion in his future self. Should he believe her? She'd seemed sincere enough. Of course she could be delusional… She didn't seem the type though. No, it was likely, however surprising, that she was telling the truth about it. Unlike her comments about the Daleks, which had been clearly evasive. His lips formed a taut line at the thought. He wasn't upset at her; she was right to keep his future from him. The fact that some of the Daleks could still be alive out there was a daunting one however. He mentally connected her Dalek references and the mysterious 'something' that had interrupted his declaration of love. There was a high probability they were related.

He was still considering this when the girl on the bed stirred. He quickly slid into a more lax position and watched her beneath half closed lids as she stretched and yawned, her wide brown eyes blinking open sleepily. When she focused on him he smiled and lifted an eyebrow, "Ready ?"

She sat up in bed and brushed self consciously at her hair with her fingers. "Yeah…I've just…I've just realized I haven't got a swim suit."

He smiled brightly, "That's alright; you won't need one!"

"Won't need one?" Rose looked at him warily, "I'm not skinny dipping, if that's what you mean."

The Doctor laughed. "You're such a human. No one else will be wearing a swim suit."

"Well I will!" Rose snapped, "and for that matter, so will you."

He looked at her in amusement, "I will?"

"Yes." She said, crossing her arms.

"Well if you insist…" He gave an over dramatic sigh an reached into the front pocket of his suit, pulled out a pair of swim trunks and a one piece bathing suit, and tossed her the latter.

Rose caught it, her mouth hanging open in astonishment, 'Wha? How…" She paused, realization dawning on her face. "Let me guess; your pockets are bigger on the inside?"

He gave her an appreciative smile, "Clever human!"

Rose blushed, feeling pleased, but a part of her wondered how different than "Good dog" the phrase was to him. She considered the bathing suit for a moment. It was purple and strapless, with a single silver rose clasp gathering the fabric at the top. "It's beautiful." She gave him a grateful smile. "So…I guess I'll change then…"

He gestured helpfully toward the bathroom and watched her enter it, his brow furrowing. _Rose Tyler, who are you?_

**To Be Continued**


	10. Chapter 10

Rose looked around with curious eyes. She was in a enclosure as large as a stadium or an auditorium that had high walls but no roof, so the sun beamed down upon them unhindered. Now that she was wearing a bathing suit instead of sweatpants and a t-shirt, the sun was considerably more welcome to her. Beneath her bare feet was the reddish orange sand, and every ten feet or so was a large sand pit. A serpentine attendant was stationed at each, and occasionally they would pour buckets of liquid into the pits. She felt The Doctor's warm breath, and his lips brushed her ear as he whispered, "That's mineral water. Filled with lot's of good nutrients. Great for skin and hair." He stepped around her and raised his voice as he walked toward the attendant stationed behind a desk at the entrance. "Hello there! My companion and I would like to bathe."The creature smiled liplissly and showed them to a nearby sand pit.

Rose stepped into the wet, burbling red sand and gasped, "Wow…uh, that feels strange." She looked up at The Doctor, who had not yet stepped in. He was wearing small, old fashioned swim trunks, and she was surprised at how vulnerable he looked with so much of his long white legs showing. His bare chest did not make her think about vulnerability however, and when his brown eyes met her's she blushed.

The Doctor sank into the mud across from her, closed his eyes, and gave a sigh of contentment "Ahh…that's brilliant."

Rose sat for a moment, and then looked at him in puzzlement, "So that's it then?"

He opened his eyes to look at her quizzically, "What, you don't like it?"

"No...I do!" She said earnestly, "It feels gorgeous; really…I just don't understand why the screaming hasn't started yet."

He gave her a look that suggested she was deranged, "What screaming?"

"Well…you know, " She groped for words, "Murder, mayhem, world denomination…screaming…we never just go some place and relax…there's always someone to save, wrongs to right."

"Sounds exciting. I can see why you missed me." The Doctor replied with a wink.

She laughed, tossing a handful of mud at him affectionately, "Cheeky bloke."

"Oh now you've started it" The Doctor said mischievously, and grabbing the bucket of mineral water the attendant was about to pour into the pit, dumped it over her head.

Rose gasped, blinking furiously, her blond hair plastered to her head. "I am sooo going to get you back for that!" She grabbed two handfuls of mud and was just about to throw them in The Doctor's face when a loud scream pierced the air. She dropped the mud and looked at him resignedly, "What did I tell you? Screaming."

**To Be Continued**


	11. Chapter 11

"What is going on here? I demand an explanation." The Doctor roared, his brown eyes flashing fiercely. The recipient of his wrath, an Arab looking humanoid in desert garb, appeared nonplussed. Rose couldn't blame him. Half naked and covered in wet sand, The Doctor looked considerably less threatening than usual. Especially since what little he was wearing was a pair of tiny blue swim shorts with sailboats on them. Even the little button on the front was a white sailboat… She fought back a smile, and thoughts about that little button, and looked at the man severely, "Look you, you don't know who you're dealing with. Cuz that's The Doctor. He's fought the Daleks and the Slyveen and a hundred other nasties. So you better explain exactly what you're doing. Because if he doesn't like it, he's going to have to stop you."

The Doctor gave her a surprised look that turned into a wide smile, before returning his attention to the task at hand, "Quite right. So get to explaining. Why are you whipping him?" He gestured to the prostrate snake man on the ground.

"He's lazy!" The man snapped, "That stupid animal," the man cracked his black leather whip in the poor creature's direction, causing it to flinch away "was just sitting around. He's supposed to be working."

"Why's it any business of yours whether or not he works?" Rose demanded, crossing her arms over her lavender swimsuit.

The man rolled his eyes, "I've got to keep discipline. If he doesn't have to work none of them will. It's bad for business." He gave her a belittling glance "Why don't you just enjoy your nice sand bath, ay?"

"Are you telling me," The Doctor asked in a dangerously quiet voice, "these people are your slaves?" Rose, who had ignored the man's bath comment, was helping the snake man to his feet. She put her arm around him and led him to the side, quietly asking him if he was alright.

The man laughed, "Well you can hardly call them people can you? They're just - " he couldn't finish that thought because The Doctor snatched the whip from his hand slashed it across his legs, which were only protected by thin, loose cloth robes. The man gasped in pain and surprise, jumping back.

"I think," The Doctor hissed, cracking the whip threateningly, "you had better take me to whoever's in charge here."

**To Be Continued**

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Authors note: In light of possible problems/complaints I thought of after writing this chapter, I'd like to say a couple things. For one, I have absolutely nothing against Arabs or Muslims or anyone like that. The only reason my 'bad guy' is Arab looking is it seemed desert-y. Also, in case anyone is freaking out like "OMG The Doctor would never whip anyone/hurt anyone/use a weapon" I'd like to say that A, I'm not entirely sure the Tenth Doctor wouldn't, as I think what he has a problem with is killing, not threatening or hurting someone a little bit, and B, while this person looks like the Tenth Doctor, it is still The Doctor before he met Rose, who we all know was known to be more volatile. Hopefully that clears up any issues :)


	12. Chapter 12

The man, who told them to call him Hassim, led The Doctor through the resort's back hallways. Rose and the snake man followed a few steps behind. _I will not check out The Doctor's bum, I will not, I will not...but it's such a great bum.._."So what's _your_ name?" Rose inquired of the snake man abruptly.

The creature looked at her with hoodless yellow eyes and answered softly " Exxithiniessssss"

"Er…well, that's…exotic… I'll just call you Ex, is that ok?" She asked.

"Yessssss thatssssss fine." He replied, and then winced.

"Are you sure you are alright?" She asked, brown eyes filling with concern, and put her hand on his scaly arm.

He looked at her hand on his arm and then leaned down over her, looking intensely into her eyes "Are you sssssure you are human?" he asked, the two tails of his thin purple tongue almost brushing her face as he spoke.

She flinched slightly, but didn't take her hand away. "Yeah 'course I'm sure, why do you ask?"

"I did not know humanssssss could be ssssso kind." He replied solemnly.

Rose thought she might cry, "Oh you poor thing," she said, wrapping her arms around the scaly creature. Ex gave a startled hiss but then gingerly patted her back, "You are a ssssstrange human." He let out an odd sound.

"Was that laugh?" Rose pulled back with a smile, "Are you laughing at me?"

"Yesssss." He said, smiling back liplissly, "But if you want to catch up with your mate, we had better hurry." He nodded his scaly green head in the direction The Doctor and Hassim were going.

"Ohh! He's not-I mean, we're not" She struggled for words and gave up on trying to explain, taking Ex's hand, "Come on, let's just follow them." They caught up to The Doctor and Hassim, who from the thin line of The Doctor's mouth and the wary way Hassim kept glancing back at him apparently weren't engaging in a similar heart to heart conversation.

"Don't ya'll look jolly?" Rose muttered, nudging the doctor with her elbow. He gave her a brief smile that vanished as he turned his attention back to Hassim, "How much farther?"

"Just around this bend." Hassim said, and then gestured to a door. "He's in there. But this is where I stop." He began to back away nervously, "He'd kill me if he knew I took you to him."

"Oh no you don't." The Doctor bunched the fabric at the base of the man's throat in his fist and dragged him by it into the room with him."I'm sure he'll understand you did it under duress." He smiled at the man sitting behind the desk inside, "Wont you?" Rose bit her lip. This was going to be interesting.

**To Be Continued**


	13. Chapter 13

"Why have you enslaved the Ryxxons? They have been a peaceful race for centuries, welcoming visitors into their home planet, until you came along!" The Doctor thrust forward an accusing finger.

The man behind the desk, clothed in green robes and a turban, turned to Hassim and growled, "Why is this idiot in my office?"

Hassim shuffled his feet. "He was…uh…very persuasive, sir."

The man gave him a look of disgust, and turned back to The Doctor. "Yes, they were peaceful for centuries. Offering free hospitality to anyone who wished it. They were too stupid to recognize the potential for profit. It took someone like me taking charge to make it a business bringing in millions a year."

"The Ryxxons have a hospitality culture. They aren't stupid, they are just kinder than you." The Doctor snapped.

The man shrugged, "You say tomato, I say tom_a_to…"

"How did you manage to take over anyway?" The Doctor asked angrily. "They are peaceful people, but they outnumber you greatly and are more physically suited to this environment."

Rose and Ex had been standing silently in the back but now the snake man stepped forward, "They came ssssseeking lodging. We welcomed them into our dwellingsssss. Then in the night they sssssslit the throatssssss of our eldersssss and murdered our prince." His voice trembled with rage.

"That's not just enslavement; that's mass murder!" The Doctor roared.

"Oh please. I killed a few snakes. It's not like anyone is going to miss them. And now I'm a millionaire." The man said smugly.

"You are disgusting!" Rose screamed, lunging for him.

The Doctor caught her arm, "Wait Rose. We're going to stop him, but not like this."

"Oh really, and how are you going to do that?" The man gave them an oily smile, "I have fifty men armed with whips and sabers. All I see that you have is an insolent little girl and overgrown man child." He sneered at the doctor's little blue shorts.

The Doctor looked back at him with a confident smile and a gleam in his eye, "And doesn't that just scare you to death?"

**To Be Continued**


	14. Chapter 14

"Alright, outside the room! OUT!" The Doctor stepped out and held open the door, gesturing frantically for Rose to follow. After she did he continued urgently, "Come on, you too!" Ex's reptilian face registered confusion, but he did as he was told. Just after Ex passed through the doorway The Doctor slammed the door behind him, in Hassim's face, and said with an entirely unapologetic smile, "Sorry mate, wasn't talking to you." He then locked the door with his sonic screwdriver and started hurrying down the hall. Rose and Ex ran to catch up with him, and he gave them a manic smile "That probably bought us a bit of time."

"How much?" Rose asked.

"No idea." The Doctor turned to Ex. "So my good fellow, how old are you? Fourteen, fifteen?"

"Fourteen." Ex replied.

Rose's mouth dropped open, "But…you're just a boy!" She stopped in the middle of the hall, shocked.

"A very tall muscle-ey boy." The Doctor said knowingly. "That's how they grow 'em here. I'm willing to bet all the rest of the Ryxxons are his age or younger as well." He caught her hand, pulling her behind him, "Come on, you can gawp and walk at the same time."

Rose resumed walking and turned to Ex, "Is that true?"

He nodded, keeping pace "Yessssss."

"500 scared Ryxxons barely into puberty, with no elders to give them wisdom, and no prince to tell them what to do." The Doctor mused. "You know what I think they need?"

"What?" Rose asked, suspecting she already knew the answer.

"A Timelord!" He declared, and flung open the doors to the courtyard, his gaze sweeping the Ryxxons working there. "Ex, I need everyone's attention."

Ex walked across the red sand to the center of the courtyard, all eyes turning to him, lifted his head, and let out a hissing serpentine keen.

Rose clung to the Doctor in horror at the skin crawling sound, "What was that?"

He looked down at her with a smile that had terrified many, "A call to war."

They watched as the Ryxxons working dropped their buckets and stood at attention. The snake people poured into the court through all the entrances, hundreds of them, some seeming to materialize from the walls and come up from the sand. They were all alert and all focused on the middle of the room. Then The Doctor, clad only in little blue shorts with sailboats, stepped to center stage. "Who here is tired of being ordered about by humans with whips?"

**To Be Continued**


	15. Chapter 15

The Doctor's question was met with silence. Then one of the Ryxxons stepped forward, the crowd parting to let him through. "What makesssss you any different than the othersssss?"

"Well I've got two hearts for one. I can do this cool thing where I change every cell in my body and get an entirely new face- Oh yeah, and I'm brilliant." The Doctor quipped with a grin.

The Ryxxon slithered forward, sniffing suspiciously. He circled the doctor, nostrils quivering and tongue tasting the air. "You are not human." He stated finally.

"Not a bit!" The Doctor agreed brightly. "So what do you say we team up against those nasty humans?"

The snake man's lidless eyes shifted to Rose. "Ssssshe issssssss human."

"Well yeah," The Doctor acknowledged, feigning a grimace, "Couldn't cure that…but don't hold it against her."

"We have no reasssson to trussssst either of you. Esssspecially her." The Ryxxon hissed with a scathing look in Rose's direction. She still hadn't let go of the Doctor, and now she clenched his arm tighter, knuckles whitening.

Ex moved in front of Rose protectively. "Ssssshe isssss my friend. Sssssshe wantsssss to help."

The other Ryxxon considered him for a moment, "Alright. Ssssssay we do team up with you." He looked at The Doctor scornfully, "Jusssst what exactly could you do to help?"

"I'd lead you. That's all you need, a leader. Ryxxons are smart and brave and all sorts of good things. But you lot are used to being told what to do. You know how to follow a plan, you just haven't had any practice coming up with one. That's what you need me for." The Doctor replied.

"What makesssss you think you can come up with a plan at all, much lesssssss one that will actually work?" The Ryxxon hissed contemptuously.

Rose let go of The Doctor's arm, stepping forward. She looked bravely up into the Ryxxon's yellow eyes and asked, "What is your name?"

He considered her question as if deciding whether or not to answer her, head tilting at an odd, off putting angle. Then he swung it back into place eerily fast and loomed over her. She fought the urge to shrink back as he hissed in her face "Myyychikkizinik."

She stood speechless for a moment, wondering if their race were naturally extremely close talkers or he was trying to intimidate her. She suspected it was the latter. "Well, uh, can I call you Myke?"

"No." He said, still about a centimeter away from her face.

"Uhh…I" Wow this was difficult. She really wanted to back up several steps but did not give in. She stood tall and took a deep breath, stating forcefully "What you need to understand Myyyycheeekeznikie-"

He suddenly made a strange sound. She froze, not sure if she could continue. He kept making it, backing up a few steps, his tongue darting erratically. "Are you…are you laughing at me?" She asked finally, remembering when Ex made a similar sound in the hall.

"Yesssssssss. You are ssssssssuch a sssssssilly little human." The Ryxxon hissed, still making the sound. He gave her a lipless smile. "Tell you what, you can call me Myke."

She stood there, unsure of what to do, and glanced at The Doctor. He shrugged.

"Well go on little human. Give your sssssspeech. Tell me why I ssssshould listen to thisssss man."

"Well because he's The Doctor. He's a Timelord. He's over 900 years old. I've seen him save whole worlds. And he can save you all, if you let him. " Rose said.

"Little human, what isssss your name?" Myke asked.

"Rose. Rose Tyler." She said shortly, feeling as if he was making fun of her, and not enjoying the feeling.

"Well Rossssssse Rosssssse Tyler, you have jusssssssst become on firssssst name bassssisss with the prince of the Ryxxon, and convinced him to listen to thissss man." He replied, reveling in his amusement.

**To Be Continued**


	16. Chapter 16

"You're the Prince? But I thought…" She lowered her voice and muttered to Ex out of the corner of her mouth, "I thought you said he was dead?" Ex gave her a helpless shrug.

"He believed I wassssss. Ssssso did everyone elsssssssse." The Prince interjected. "It wassssss what I wisssssshed them to believe."

"Why would you want people to think you were dead?" Rose asked in confusion.

"So that no one would try to finish the job." The Doctor, who had been silent for some time, surmised.

"Correct." The Prince's voice saddened. "I am not dead, but ssssssomeone did die in my bed. He wasssssss my ssssservant and a trusssssted friend. Hissssss ssssssacrifice will not be forgotten."

"Do you have a plan then? Because from where I'm standing you were just watching as your people slaved away." Rose said.

"Would it be better if I gave mysssssself up and left my people in chaossssss with no one to rule them?" He asked tightly. "You forget I ssssssslaved alongside them."

"Well you're not exactly leading them now, are you?" She asked. Then feeling a little disrespectful she added, "your majesty."

"Rose." The Doctor said softly, giving her a pointed look. He stepped forward. "Well if you have got a plan, I'm all ears. But otherwise…I've had an idea."

"My plan wasssss to wait until my people grew older and ssssstronger, inciting rebellion over the yearsssss. Then, when all my people were behind me and sssssstrong enough to overthrow the humanssss, we would make our move." The Prince replied.

"Not a bad plan. Mine's a bit faster." The Doctor started walking away in a seemingly aimless fashion, eyes roaming the area.

"What exactly issssss your plan?" The Prince asked, watching him quizzically as he inspected one of the water buckets.

The Doctor didn't answer him, instead inquiring "How do you heat your water?"

"Excussssssse me?" The Prince asked, looking irritated.

"Well you add the minerals, and heat it up, and you do that….where?" The Doctor asked.

"We don't. It'sssss naturally enriched. It comesssss from hot ssssssspringsssss in the center of the planet." The Prince replied. He still wasn't sure what The Doctor was getting at but had decided to play along.

"Brilliant!" The Doctor exclaimed. "Take me to it."

"The center of the planet?" The Prince clarified, with a dubious look.

"Yup! Well, no. The pump, or the well, or the hose…or whatever it is you have." The Doctor said with an expectant smile.

"My people are ensssssslaved and your sssssolution is bath water?" The Prince asked incredulously.

"Idn't it great?" The Doctor beamed.

**To Be Continued**


	17. Chapter 17

"Testing, testing…can you hear me?" The Doctor, seated in a rolling office chair, looked around with an eyebrow lifted questioningly, while talking into the intercom system.

"Loud and clear." Rose said with a grin. They were in what used to be the manager's office, but was now a store room. The humans had apparently forgotten about the com system after they killed the manager with the other elders, since it was collecting dust with the various boxes.

"Hello people! This is The Doctor speaking. I'd just like to inform everyone that in twenty minutes the entire face of the planet is going to be flooded with boiling water. If you're a Ryxxon and your hearing this, I'm sure you're not worried. Ryxxon's are a lovely breed of many different reptilian species, including the crocodile and several desert lizards and snakes. Crocodiles- l love crocodiles! Brilliant creatures, can easily hold their breath for over 30 minutes, and when pressed, as much as two hours. Sadly the average human expires after six minutes of oxygen starvation. Then there's the small matter of the heat. I'm afraid your sensitive skin just wont be able to handle it without extreme discomfort. So that's it then. All humans evacuate the planet in under twenty minutes if you want to live. Have a nice day." He pressed the off button and turned to Rose "How was I?"

Her smile threatened to encompass her face as she threw her arms around him. "You were fantastic!"

The Doctor laughed as his chair rocked back with their combined weight and began to roll. He returned her embrace, pulling her into his lap and spinning them both around in the chair. Rose gave a startled but exhilarated yelp, clinging to him. Her bare legs lay across his and as she leaned against his shirtless chest she was very aware of the fact that this was the closest they had ever been with so little clothing. He gave it another spin, and by the time they came to a stop they were both laughing. "Oh I love a spinny chair, don't you love a spinny chair Rose?" He said with an infectious smile.

"Yes." She said breathlessly, gazing up at him. Her hair, wild from the spinning, spilled against her bare shoulders, and the way she was looking into his eyes suggested she wanted to tell him she loved more than the chair.

He shifted uncomfortably under her gaze, and abruptly stood. She stumbled, and almost fell on the floor, but he steadied her with a distracted hand. He turned to The Prince, ignoring her hurt look. "Well old chap, have your friends found my box yet?"

"They have not yet returned." The Prince replied. He had been watching The Doctor and Rose's interaction with interest, and his yellow eyes shifted back to Rose after he answered. "I will be sssssad to sssssssee you go. You have been very….entertaining."

"Well I don't know….we could stay awhile, couldn't we Doctor?" Rose asked. She felt her heart breaking at the prospect of her "one trip" ending so soon.

"Oh well, places to go, things to see, people to save." The Doctor waved a carless hand. "You know how it is."

"Yeah, I do." Rose said softly, the barest glimmer of a tear in her eyes.

The Doctor's eyes skittered quickly away from hers. "Yes well, we'd better get you home anyway, hadn't we? I'm just going to check on the Ryxxon who are managing the water." He quickly exited the office.

Rose fought back the sob in her throat, but couldn't help the tears that spilled down her cheeks. The Prince looked at her solemnly, "You love him." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah." She whispered, brushing back the tears. She blinked a few times and then straitened, starting for the door. "I'd better go after him. He gets into all sorts of trouble on his own."

"Is that why you stay with him?" The Prince asked.

She paused in the doorway, and then turned back to him with a broken smile, "No…I mean that's part of it. But the truth is I stay with him because I don't know how to be without him."

**To Be Continued**


	18. Chapter 18

"If the water is boiling hot, why doesn't it burn the people bathing?" Rose wondered.

"Cooling pipes." The Doctor said, nodding toward said pipes. "Which are connected to storage canisters. Lovely gel inside the walls; makes you feel all cool and tingly. Don't taste it though!" He made a dramatic grimace and a show of scraping his tongue against his top teeth as if attempting to scour the taste off it.

"I'll do my best to resist the urge." Rose told him with an amused smile, glancing briefly at the canisters, which were about her height and a little wider around. "So you've what….just turned them off?"

"Something like that. _Well_…more like redirected. Not all the pipes are cooling pipes, just the ones closest to the top. And when the water is sitting in the canister's is when the real cooling gets done. If the water's cut off from the canisters…"He gave an explanatory shrug. "It's all backed up in the lower pipes. I move a few gears, press a few buttons, and KAABOOM."

"Ahh." Rose comprehended, unable to help smiling at his cleverness. She walked over him and slipped her hand into his. He looked up from the buttons he was fiddling with to smile, squeezing her hand in return.

"I guess that's it. Flip a switch and then we go." She said, finding herself unable to smile back. Her brown eyes looked searchingly into his.

"Yepp." He said, dropping her hand and turning back to his levers and gears.

Rose felt like he had gutted her, and she rocked back from the emotional assault. _He said one trip. You knew this was going to happen. _She told herself. She hadn't really though. She'd thought she could change his mind. Make him fall in love with her overnight. _How conceited was that? _She crossed her arms around her chest, almost hugging herself, and took a moment to calm her emotions before asking in what she hoped was cool, distant voice, "So how much longer have we got?"

"Eight minutes and thirty- two seconds." The Doctor said. He frowned, "The Ryxxons who went to get The Tardis should be back by now."

"I'm sure they'll be here soon." Rose told him, hoping for a moment they would not be. She chastised herself a second later, remembering that would mean they couldn't get off the planet in time to escape.

"They'd better." The Doctor said grimly.

"They won't." A confident voice behind them replied.

They both spun to see Hassim, who was looking at them smugly.

"What have you done to them?" The Doctor shouted, understanding his tone immediately.

"Killed them of course." Hassim said, the careless simplicity of his words highlighting his cruelty.

"They were just children." The Doctor said in a horrified voice.

"They were just snakes." Hassim returned coldly.

"What possible good could it have done you to kill them?" The Doctor roared the question, flinging it from himself as if he could release the pain with the breath and sound of his words.

"You can't flood the planet now. Twenty minutes is almost up. You won't have time to get to your ship. You aren't about to kill yourself." Hassim said with a triumphant smile. "I win."

**To Be Continued**


	19. Chapter 19

"That is where you are wrong." The Doctor said, his fury concealed beneath a manic smile. "I can flood this planet, I will flood this planet, and if you aren't off the surface in 3.37 minutes than you will drown in searing heat."

"But-but Doctor, what are we going to do without the Tardis? It'll kill us!" Rose exclaimed.

"Oh no Rose. Dear, dear little Rose. I have only just met you, but as much as it scares me to death, one day I will love you. That day is not today, but I like you an _awful_ lot already, and I am sorry, I am so sorry, but right now you need to get inside this canister." The Doctor undid the latch with his sonic screwdriver and flung open the door, offering her his hand.

"No!" She gasped, backing away from him. "What about you?"

He smiled encouragingly, "There's plenty of canister's around. I'll be alright. Just get in. Hurry up, I'll need to lock it behind you."

"Who's gonna lock it behind you?" Rose demanded, stepping further back.

"I'll lock it from the inside." The Doctor sprang forward, catching her around the middle, and started dragging her toward the canister.

"No! You won't even fit in! You're too tall!" Rose fought against him, kicking her legs furiously.

"I'll squeeze. Ouch! No biting! Ach! No scratching either!" He lifted her up and dropped her into the canister, looking down at her with a wounded expression, "Didn't your mother ever teach you to fight fair?"

"Didn't you mother ever teach you not to lie?" She shouted back.

"Rose!" He gave his most honest face, his brown eyes looking sincerely down into hers, "Would I lie to you?"

"Yes!" She snapped, trying to shove past him and climb back out of the canister.

"Ah, well you do know me." He caught her on her way out, forcing down her arms by enveloping her in a tight hug. "But you have to get in this canister Rose. I can not, I will not, let you die. I have lost too many people."

"I can't let you die either!" She sobbed, struggling futilely for a moment before going limp in his arms. "You can't die now because in the future you have to meet an ordinary shop girl, and change her life forever, just by being your extraordinary self. And you can't do that if you die here. Doctor you have to live!"

"I will." He soothed. "I will. I may not have the same face, but Rose Tyler, I will live. I promise you."

"You can't change though! You can't! This is how you were when I met you. If you change now it will be wrong." She insisted. He ignored her, pushing her back into the canister.

"But I love you!" She screamed in frustration as he closed the door in her face, pushing her hands up against it helplessly.

"I know." He said softly, pressing his hand against the closed door on top of the canister, almost as if he could sense hers on the other side of the metal. "And that's why you have to live."

**To Be Continued**


	20. Chapter 20

After a brief moment The Doctor quickly stepped away from the canister, ran over to the control panel, and began flipping levers and gears furiously.

Hassim, who was still in the doorway, had been staring in shock for some time. "What are you doing?" He asked finally, despite the fact that what The Doctor was doing should have been pretty obvious.

"Flooding the planet." The Doctor said, as one might say "Going for a walk" or "Having a nice cup of tea".

"But-but you'll die!" Hassim sputtered disbelievingly.

"There's a high probability of that, yes." The Doctor replied, without looking up from his task.

There was an explosion and the distant sound of rushing water, like a waterfall or a raging river.

"You are insane!" The Arab man shouted, his eyes widening in horror as he realized The Doctor's bluff was no bluff at all. The sound got closer, rising from a hum to a roar. "I'm getting out of here!" He gasped, and then turned and fled.

The Doctor smiled, flipping his last switch. "Good riddance."He stepped back from the control panel and surveyed the room, eyes scanning for the highest place in sight. All he saw was pipes and canisters. Then he walked back to the canister holding Rose. He raised his voice a few octaves and asked "Rose, can you hear me?" He received only silence in reply. He tried again "Rose, I know you are mad at me but this is important. Can you hear me? Knock once for yes." There was silence and then a grudging knock. "Brilliant! Okay Rose, there should be more than enough oxygen in there for you. Just breath freely for now. In a little while I am going to knock three times. When I do that, I want you to take a deep breath and hold your nose. Ok? Knock if you understand." He heard another knock in reply. "That's great Rose, really. You are fantastic." Another knock, this one louder. "And modest too." He said with a grin. He had a silly urge to hug the canister, even though he knew the girl inside would not be able to feel it.

The Doctor's smile faded at the sight of water flooding in through the doorway. He climbed up on the canister that Rose was in, standing on top of it, and grabbed hold of a water pipe overhead. He pulled himself up, scrambled atop it, and lay along it on his belly, straddling it with his arms and legs. He looked down at the rising water that had already began to fill the room. "Guess it's a good thing I wore my bathing suit."

**To Be Continued**


	21. Chapter 21

The Doctor waited, fighting down the dread in the pit of his stomach, as the water beneath rose, closer and closer. Steam came off the top of it, hot, dense, and damp. It coated his body, blurred his vision, and made his normally gravity defying hair droop with the moisture.

He missed Rose. She was only a few feet below him, but he missed her. He could just imagine her making a joke right about now, something about him going through all this trouble just to have a sauna, probably. _If you miss her now, when you are only separated by three feet, a few minutes, and some measly water, how will you feel when you are separated by all time and space?_ He wondered. He closed his eyes as if by shutting the windows of his mind to the world he could shut out the thought. He wished for a moment he could step out of his role. Give up on being the protector of all universes and always doing the right thing. He wished he could keep this beautiful girl at his side and damn the consequences. He couldn't though. He had to take her back where she belonged and erase all memory of ever meeting her, so that someday, he could meet her again. So that someday, he could change an ordinary shop girl's life, a shop girl that wasn't so ordinary after all. The thought of what he knew he had to do was painful. What was also painful was breathing in boiling hot water, which is what he did in the middle of that thought.

He coughed, opened his eyes, and then closed them quickly, the tender skin of his eyeballs stinging from the heat. Perhaps he should think about what was going to happen after they got out of here, after they actually managed to get out. While he had been contemplating the future, the present had snuck up on him, in the form of not so slowly rising water. The Doctor screwed his mouth and eyes shut, and began to shift himself around the pipe, grunting with the effort, until he was straddling it from beneath, and facing the ceiling. This position was considerably more strenuous, but would buy him a few extra moments of air.

He felt the hot water lapping at his back, and continuing to rise. It climbed over him, covering his ears. He found it rather ironic that its ominous roar was silenced when it was closest to him. Perhaps the silence was more scary than the noise. The water continued, up, up, up, a silent killer creeping up on him from behind. Just as it reached his mouth, he took a big, gulping breath of air, and then let it wash over him.

**To Be Continued **


	22. Chapter 22

One, two, three, four, five. Six minutes to drown the average human. But The Doctor wasn't human. On the sixth minute he let go of the pipe, turning to face the current. He swam as hard as he could, fighting his way down until he reached the control panel. He began pressing buttons and pulling levers, all the while mentally counting the time. Seven. Eight. Nine. He twisted one more knob and then turned, pushing off on the side of the control panel with his feet.

The Doctor hadn't really needed the boost, as it was easier going up, and he actually had to fight to slow his ascent, working sideways until he reached Rose's canister. He caught hold of it with one hand and brought the other down against the metal in three hard knocks. He had a difficult time swinging his arm down through the water, and hoped the contact had been loud enough for Rose to perceive, considering he couldn't hear a thing. Just as the numbers on his mental clock changed from nine minutes and fifty nine seconds to ten minutes, he unlocked the latch and flung open the door. The Doctor pulled Rose out of the canister and into his arms, pressing his lips against hers desperately. He was filled with relief as well as oxygen when she breathed into his mouth. Apparently she had heard the knocks, and understood what he wanted from her. He began to propel them both upward, just as the tide changed. The water was being vacuumed out of the room, and he grabbed hold of the pipe overhead just in time to stop them both from being sucked down with it.

Rose was clinging to The Doctor, arms wrapped around his middle. He gestured frantically upward with his head. At first she stared up at him in confusion, and then, realizing what he meant, she began to climb up his body, which was no easy task, as he was half naked and wet. She hauled herself up until she could reach the pipe, grabbed hold of it, and pulled herself up until most of her torso was higher than it. This put her head just above the now lowering water, and she breathed greedily before climbing back down. Her arms were straining from that one pull-up and she mentally kicked herself for not working out more. Rose attempted to give The Doctor air again, but he turned his head away. So she held on to him, and that breath of air, as they waited for the water to lower enough so they could both breath freely.

**To Be Continued**


	23. Chapter 23

Authors note: No, that wasn't a kiss. Sorry to disappoint. He had asked her to take that breath of air so she could give it to him, since he knew he would be going so long without air. Its still a pretty intimate way to give someone air though ;) Definitely "awww" worthy, imo.

* * *

When the water lowered to the level of The Doctor's neck, Rose pulled herself up again to breath, wrapping her arms around his neck instead of his stomach. They both took grateful gulps of air before saying anything. "Look at you, hangin' from a pipe and holdin' me up. Who would have guessed there was that much muscle on your skinny self? " Rose teased breathlessly. She was painfully conscious of the fact that his lips were little more than a few centimeters away from her own.

He laughed, smiling at her beneath dripping hair. "I'm wiry."

Dripping hair, eyelashes, lips, body…She was fighting the urge to kiss him, to run her hands over his "wiry" torso. It was ridiculous she knew. They were in the middle of hanging for their lives. Her brain knew that but the rest of her was not as reasonable. She didn't trust herself to speak, and so she just clung to him, closing her eyes and trying to pretend she wasn't holding on to the barely clothed love of her life. That was one delusion she had no luck attempting however. When she finally gave up and opened her eyes, his golden brown ones stared back, too close for her to think clearly. The water had completely passed them by, just barely skimming the tips of her toes. She curled them up and glanced down, figuring anything was better at this point than his intense gaze, only to look back up quickly after seeing the deadly whirlpool beneath them.

"The water wasn't boiling hot…it was just sortof warm." She mused. "I guess you just made that bit up?"

"Oh no. It was boiling hot. I just turned on the cooling units in the walls before I let you out of the canister." The Doctor replied.

"But, then how did you survive? Or at least how did you not get some serious burns?" Rose asked in surprise.

"I told you I can sustain extreme temperatures without discomfort. _Well_…without much discomfort. He said.

"Well you could've reminded me! Here I thought you were going to die and all along you knew you'd be fine!" She snapped. She started to swat him but then thought better of it, quickly wrapping her arms back around his neck. Rose figured when hanging over a deadly whirlpool it was probably best to hold on with both hands.

"Not true." He protested. "I didn't know that I would be alright. I had a plan, sure, but there's hundreds of things that can go wrong with a plan."

"Well it still would have been nice if you'd had the courtesy to say "I have a plan" before slamming the door in my face." She muttered.

"Well I'm sorry." The Doctor said in a slightly exasperated tone. "I was in a bit of a hurry. Next time I save your life I'll try to be more polite about it."

Rose couldn't argue with that statement. In fact, she couldn't help but beam at him. He'd said "next time."

**To Be Continued**


	24. Chapter 24

Author's note: remember guys, feedback is always encouraging! I always welcome a review, even if you just say you don't like it. lol.

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When the water level had dropped below the top of the canister beneath them, Rose let go of The Doctor and jumped down to stand on top of it. He gave an audible sigh of relief at being unburdened by the excess weight. She scooted to the edge of the canister, back against the wall, and looked up at him. "There's room for two down here. We'll have to squeeze, but that's ok."

The Doctor released his hold of the pipe and fell the short distance, catching her arm to steady himself when he landed. He hunched over and sank against her, arms starting to wrap around her, but falling tiredly to his sides instead. She held him, his face pressed to her shoulder, and felt the tickle of his exhausted breathing on her bare skin. She massaged his neck, knowing even if he didn't say anything it had to be aching from her weight. Her fingers brushed the base of the soft wet hair at the back of his head, and she skimmed them through it briefly. She wanted to go further up, entangle her fingers in his hair, she wanted to do so much more, but she fought the urge, returning her hands to the back of his neck. Honestly he would probably have been too tired to reciprocate if she had done anything.

That was how the Prince found them. He stood, observing the two aliens mutely for a moment. They looked so fragile to him, in their soft, unprotected skin, with so little clothing. Both of their eyes were closed, and he almost did not want to disturb them. He finally broke the silence by saying, "We cannot thank you enough. The Ryxxon are forever in your debt. Your plan worked Doctor. They have gone."

Rose opened her eyes, and The Doctor lifted his head, turning to the Prince with a tired smile. "Brilliant." The phrase was less energetically stated than usual. They climbed down from the canister, Rose helping him step onto the wet floor. She kept her hand on his arm and watched him with anxious eyes, as if afraid he might be unable to support himself.

He held up a finger and sank to the ground, sprawling out in the middle of the wet floor on his back, and closing his eyes.

After a few moments the Prince gave Rose a questioning glance, asking quietly, "Issss he alright?"

Before Rose could answer, The Doctor sprung up suddenly, apparently rejuvenated."Lovely!" He grabbed Rose's hand and twirled her around, dancing dangerously across the wet floor with her a moment, before pulling her back to himself and giving her a sound kiss on the forehead. "Just lovely, thanks for asking!"

He started out the door, jerking along a startled Rose behind him by the hand, "Allones-y!"

**To Be Continued**


	25. Chapter 25

"Wait!" Rose pulled her hand away from The Doctor. He looked at her in confusion. Her eyes were filled with shock and hurt. "Just like that? Allons-y? Off we go and you take me back? Can't we stay just a little longer?" She pleaded, her voice breaking.

"Rose- I didn't-" He began, reaching a hand toward her. She shrank from him with accusing eyes.

"Rose, believe me, I-" His heartfelt words were interrupted by the Prince.

"Sssssshe is right. You cannot jussssst leave. You musssst atleast ssssstay for dinner." The snake man commanded, his tongue flicking forcefully.

"You don't understand-" The Doctor began to protest.

He was cut off again by Rose. "Why are you in such a bloody hurry anyway?" She demanded. "We didn't even finish our mud bath. You promised me a mud bath!"

"I know, I-" He was cut off yet again by Ex, who had just rounded the corner. "Doctor ssssurely you are not leaving yet are you?"

"NO!" The Doctor shouted, startling them all into silence. He began talking again in his normal voice. "I am not leaving yet, I was just going back to our room so we could change clothes. However," He turned to Rose, "If you want to continue our mud bath I suppose that won't be necessary. I just figured you would be tired of hot water at the moment, seeing as you almost drowned in some."

"Oh…well.." Rose trailed off, not sure what to say.

"I'm afraid the whole pipe sssssystem is a bit crazy right now…I'm not sssssure a mud bath would be possssssssssssible at thissss time." Ex ventured apologetically.

"Well then we could have a tour, couldn't we? I like tours. Don't you like tours Rose? We could kill a few hours wandering around the resort." The Doctor offered with an beguiling smile.

"No…" Rose said. "I'm tired. How about you take the tour and I'll have a nap."

"I suppose…" The Doctor said, looking a little rejected. She knew he had only brought up the tour idea so they could spend more time together, but she had an idea, and so she needed some alone time.

"I'll give you the tour myssssself!" The Prince said grandly, throwing a scaly arm around The Doctor's shoulder and steering him down the hall.

The Doctor glanced back at Rose, a cross between confusion and sadness on his face. "I'll see you…after your… nap …then." He said finally, before disappearing around the corner with the Prince.

Ex followed them with his lidless eyes and then turned to Rose awkwardly, "I guessss I'll ssssssee you later then."

"Actually…" She asked, a gleam in her eyes, "Do you know where I can get paper and a pen?"

**To Be Continued**


	26. Chapter 26

_My Dearest Doctor,_

_as you read this, only minutes have passed since you last saw me on the beach that day. But for me it will have been much longer. To be swept up by an angel once in your life is miraculous, and wishing for a second visit is just greedy. But, oh, how I wished. And you came. But I cannot stay with you. I don't know how much longer I have with you when I write this. Maybe a few hours, maybe a day.__ I don't know how long it will be before you can read this letter. The Tardis will know though, and that's what's important. The Tardis will hold this letter for me, and give it to you once we have parted for the last time. It will also give you back your memories. For you, they are the beginning of our story. For me, they are the ending. Farewell my star crossed love. Time and space may separate us, but you will always be in my heart._

_Love,_

_Rose_

Despite having a near drowning experience, Rose found herself longing for a shower. She still had a lot of sand on her, and now that it was beginning to dry, it was starting to feel uncomfortable. After setting the letter she had just finished writing on the nightstand beside her bed, she went into the bathroom. She held a hand out under the shower cautiously, a little afraid there wouldn't be any hot water, or any water at all for that matter, after the day's events. She was pleasantly surprised when warm water began to gush out of the spigot as soon as she turned it. She peeled off her bathing suit and stepped under the warm spray, kneading her fingers through her blond hair to work out the grit.

A man stepped into now the empty room, eyes scanning for its occupant. The visitor heard the sound of running water, and glanced toward the bathroom. The door was slightly cracked open and the man could just make out a glimpse of a fogged mirror. His eyes moved on to the nightstand, or more specifically, the letter on top of it.

He walked over, picked it up, unfolded it, and read the first line "My Dearest Doctor…" He smiled slightly, and then frowned. It was too quiet. The water had been turned off. He quickly refolded the letter, set it back on the nightstand, and turned. Through the crack in the doorway he could see the smallest sliver of creamy skin and blond hair, the former being quickly eclipsed in a fluffy white towel. He pursed his lips and sat on the bed opposite hers, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Rose stepped into the room in nothing but a towel. Her hair was wet and stringy, hanging in yellow clumps, but she was beautiful nonetheless. When she saw him her mouth formed a pink O shape, and her brown eyes widened. She clutched the towel to herself, blushing furiously. "Well, uh, hello." She said, and then suddenly rushed back in the bathroom, slamming the door. After a moment she poked head back out and said nervously, holding up a finger, "One moment."

The man gave an amused nod, and settled on the bed, content to wait.

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Authors note:** READ THIS GUYS!**

Who is the mysterious man? I want you to tell me three things.

1. Who you think it is

2. Who you want it to be

3. Who you hope its not

Someone old, someone new, someone borrowed, someone blue? :P I was going to make a poll, but then you would have to pick an option I gave you. I want to see what you come up with on your own. **I will be waiting to update until answers have come in. **This is not a vote exactly, since I wont necessarily be picking the most popular person. I just want to get an idea of what you guys think after reading this before I write the next chapter.


	27. Chapter 27

Authors note: Thanks to the people who replied! :) Great answers/guesses everyone. The top three answers were Jack, The Doctor, and The Master. Those also happened to be the top three I was deciding between. Great minds think alike ;) Who did I pick? Read a find out :P Btw, I suppose there could be a tiny kindof/sortof season three spoiler in this chapter, but not really? lol. I don't know, just read it and if you haven't seen season 3 you probably wont know what I'm talking about and if you have its not really a deal then, is it?

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Rose hurriedly climbed back into her sweats and ripped t-shirt from earlier, almost falling over in her hast. Then she rushed back out of the bathroom, and vaulted into the arms of the man on the bed. "JACK!" She squealed, hugging him tightly, and literally bouncing in her excitement.

"ROSE!" Jack said back teasingly, returning her embrace. He pushed back a strand of her wet blond hair, and stroked a thumb down her cheek with a charismatic smile, "You're just as gorgeous as I remember."

She laughed, blushing and casting down her eyes momentarily, before returning with a flirtatious smile, "So are you." She could feel his muscled arms wrapped around her even through his thick military coat. _That strong jaw line and bloody dimple…blimey, the man was attractive. _After a moment, her smile faded, and she looked at him in confusion, "But how are you here?"

"Well that's a long story. Quite a lot's happened since I last saw you." Jack said. "I've been trying to find you guys for over a century. I'm past the hundred fifty year mark now-I know, I know, I look great for my age." He winked at her before continuing with his story. "I'd almost given up when Christmas day I got a present from the heavens; the hand of a newly regenerated Time Lord. I used it to make a DNA tracking device, and combined it with my wrist strap teleport. I'm hoping the Doctor can fix my whole, not dyeing problem. I mean it's a great trick at parties, really popular with the ladies-and boys, for that matter, but it gets old after awhile." He glanced around the room in puzzlement, "Where is the Doctor, anyway?"

Rose bit her lip, her brown eyes filled with the turmoil of what she knew she had to tell her friend, and the difficulty of explaining it. "Jack, he's not…here."

"What do you mean he's not here? I mean it's great to see you, love, but last time I checked you weren't the one with the machine that travels between time and space. Besides, my honing device is specific to his DNA, not yours. He's what brought me here." Jack said, and lifted an eyebrow, his sky blue eyes quizzical.

"The Doctor is here…but not _our_ Doctor. He doesn't know you yet. You shouldn't be here…I shouldn't really be here either, but I can't stay away from him." Rose's eyes began to water, and she started sniffling, covering her face with her hands. "Oh Jack, I think I've done something terrible. I've made a horrible mistake. What if I've ruined everything?"

**To Be Continued**

**

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**

I realized at the last minute The Master was not really a viable option, as he doesn't come in until the third season (atleast in NuWho) and I am trying to keep this fic as spoiler free as possible for all events after season two. Also, the Rose in this fanfiction sure is a bit of a crybaby, isn't she? I blame it on being without The Doctor for two months, and knowing she's going to have to lose him again soon, and that she has possibly in some way ruined her future with him by meeting him too early. Things like that tend to be upsetting. Or maybe she's just on her period...


	28. Chapter 28

"Hey now!" Jack said in surprise, pulling the sobbing girl against his chest and stroking her still wet hair. "Everything is going to be alright. I know you, and you could never do anything terrible. You're Rose Tyler. Angels and cartoon birds sing when you walk into a room. Just tell me what happened and we'll fix it, I promise."

"I'm here, that's what I've done. I met the Doctor too early and I went away with him, even though I should have ran as far and as fast as I could in the other direction." Rose confessed into his chest, getting snot and tears on his blue button down shirt.

"So I found the Doctor, but I've come too early." Jack sighed. He put aside his own disappointment over the news for the time being, and tried to console the girl. "It's not that bad. When you've traveled as much as The Doctor I'm sure you've got to occasionally meet people out of order…and he let you come with him right? It's not as if you forced him to take you." He paused, asking hesitantly "You _didn't_ force him, did you?" She shook her head, further making a mess of the front of his shirt. "Well see, there you have it! I'm sure The Doctor knows what he is doing…it will be ok." He squeezed her in a tight hug for a moment before asking "Where is the Doctor anyway? The one in this time period, I mean."

Rose sat up, brushing at her eyes with the back of her hand. "He's wandering around the resort, taking a tour."

"But that's what I don't understand. Why did my teleport bring me here, to this room?" He pushed back the sleeve of his blue gray military coat and held out his wrist for her to see the flashing lights on the little screen. "It's going crazy right now. It's saying the Doctor is right here, exactly where we are sitting. It thinks we are right on top of him."

"Well it must be broken. Or confused." Rose said, her forehead wrinkling, and she wiped at her now red nose before leaning in to look at it closer.

"It's not confused." The words came from beneath them, and both Rose and Jack looked down in astonishment as The Doctor climbed out from underneath the bed they were sitting on. He stood and stretched, cracking his back and neck. Then he straightened out and dusted off his pinstriped suit, running a hand through his messy brown hair. Finally satisfied, he turned his attention back to the two sitting on the bed with a wide, goofy smile, "Hello!"

"Maybe it's not confused…" Rose gasped, her messy, mascara framed, brown eyes huge, "but I sure am."

**To Be Continued**


	29. Chapter 29

"Rose, it's me." The Doctor said, leaning back slightly with his hands in the pockets of his brown overcoat.

"I can see that! But what the heck were you doing under the bed? I thought- I thought you were taking a tour!" Rose sputtered, waving her arms for emphasis. "How long have you been there? And why the bloody hell were you just lurking under the bed?" She demanded.

"No, I mean it's ME. _I _was never taking a tour, The Doctor from this time period was the one taking the tour." The Doctor explained.

"What? Do you mean, do you mean you're the proper Doctor? My Doctor?" She asked, her voice breaking on the last word. Her eyes were still wet from before, her nose was still red, and her hand went to her heart as if to hold back the hope and joy she was feeling in case it was about to be dashed down.

" I mean." He nodded, smiling at her from under his messy brown hair with love in his eyes.

She ran to him, capturing his lips with her own. For a second his brown eyes were wide with surprise, and then he reacted, returning her kiss with equal fervency. Rose twined her fingers through his hair, pulling his head down and standing on her tiptoes to deepen the kiss. Still unsatisfied, she jumped up onto him, wrapping her legs around his waist. The Doctor rolled back on his heels momentarily before gaining the balance to support her. "Rose…" He murmured into her mouth hesitantly. She ignored him, and so he pulled his head back, turning it a little ways to the side to avoid her desperate kisses. Since his mouth was no longer available, she caught his earlobe between her teeth, and then ran her tongue across it, sucking it gently. He gasped slightly,"Rose…uh..Jack..."

Jack had been sitting on the bed watching them both with considerable interest for some time, and at The Doctor's words he gave them a wide smile "Oh, I don't mind."

"I'm sure _you_ don't. " The Doctor muttered, rolling his eyes. He set Rose down, and threaded his fingers through her own, mouthing "later" to her wounded gaze. Then he turned wary eyes to their fellow time traveler. "Hello Jack." His tone was clipped.

Jack's smile faded and he said ruefully, "I guess it was wishful thinking to hope you abandoned me in the future by accident."

"What can I say Jack? You're wrong. I don't like it." The Doctor said coolly, the muscles in his jaw tightening.

"So fix it! You know, it's not like I asked for this." Jack retorted.

"Stop it!" Rose snapped. "Ya'll are not fighting right now. I haven't seen either of you in forever, so you can both just sit yourselves down on the bed with me for awhile and be pleasant!"

Jack's blue eyes twinkled and he flashed her his dimple, "I can do that."

**To Be Continued**


	30. Chapter 30

The Doctor muttered "Stop it" warningly out of the side of his mouth to Jack, and sat down on the opposite end of the bed. Rose tilted her head in confusion, the effortlessly adorable nature of it taking his breath away. He followed the slow flush of blood creeping up her neck and onto her cheeks, and had to fight a smile as her eyes widened slightly when she realized the implications of her statement. "Get on the bed and um…_talk_…pleasantly." She clarified, sitting between the two men.

Jack smirked and opened his mouth with a follow up remark ,and then closed it under The Doctor's glare, offering a placating smile. "Okay, let's talk."

She gave him a grateful smile and turned to The Doctor. "Alright well you're here-obviously, but how and why are you here? Not that I'm complaining!" She added quickly.

"I read your letter," He said, taking her hand into his own, "and the Tardis gave me back my memories. I couldn't bear for it to be the end. There is more to our story, Rose, I just know it. _This_ is our beginning." His voice was full of emotion, and his eyes begged her to agree with him.

Rose drew in a sharp breath under the intensity of his gaze, taking a moment to clear her head before protesting, "But I've only just wrote it!"

"And I've only just read it." He returned. " That's the thing about wibbely wobbely timey wimey relationships, they are all topsy turvey and out of order. I came as soon as I read it. I got the date right, and pretty close to the time, but I didn't see the letter anywhere. I was looking for it when you opened the door. I quickly hid under the bed, since I had to be sure you wrote the letter before I talked to you. Then when you'd finished I was just about to come out when…" Here he looked slightly embarrassed, "Your swimsuit dropped to the floor…and I figured I'd better stay under here a little while longer."

"And then I came in the room, which you didn't expect, and you decided to wait and figure out what was going on." Jack surmised.

"Pretty much." The Doctor said.

"But why…why did you have to come right after I wrote it?" Rose asked, "Wouldn't it have been better to wait a little longer? I mean we were going to have dinner. I won't get a chance to say goodbye to him now. To you I mean. Oh it's so confusing." She groaned.

"Rose…we didn't have dinner. I don't _do_…dinner. I took you home after the tour. Back to earth." He said the last part carefully, to make sure she understand the meaning.

"Back to where you couldn't have come for me." She realized in horror.

"Exactly. I took you home and erased my memory, and if I let that happen it really will be goodbye forever." The Doctor replied.

"But how can we stop it? This is interfering in your own timeline; exactly what you are always saying we shouldn't do. What if we mess everything up? If we leave now how will you read the letter in the future to come here, now?" She protested.

"You have to write another letter." He said gravely.

"Uh, guys?" Jack asked, "Where do I fit in all this?"

**To Be Continued**


	31. Chapter 31

"You don't." The Doctor stated flatly.

"What do you mean he doesn't?" Rose objected. "We can't just leave him here."

"Oh yes we can." The Doctor said coldly. "He has a teleport. He can go back to wherever he came from."

"But he's lonely!" Rose protested, shocked at The Doctor's insensitivity. "He's old and alone and everyone he cares about keeps dying-sound familiar, Doctor?"

"He is not like me." The Doctor snapped. "He is wrong! A fixed point in time and space, and it makes me twitch just to look at him. Besides, I've already got one unwanted passenger to deal with."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Rose said, getting up off of the bed and crossing her arms. Her voice shook with hurt and anger "You came here for me! I didn't ask you too!"

"Oh no, Rose!" The Doctor said, shocked she would even think that. He stood and held out his arms to her consolingly, his eyes intense with emotion. "Not you, never you."

"Oh…well…who then?" She asked in surprise, still not sure whether she wanted to accept the hug.

"Just this, irritating redhead. I don't know." He said, waving a careless hand.

"A girl?" Rose repeated, her voice suspiciously calm. She still refused to hug him.

"Yeah, a girl." The Doctor said thoughtlessly. He dropped his arms, giving up, and glanced around, "So do you have any more paper because-"

"A girl?!" Rose shrieked. " You had only just left me on the beach after my declaration of love, thinking you were never going to see me again, and the first thing you do is pick up another girl?!"

"What?" He said in surprise, taking an involuntary step back from the enraged girl. "No, no, that's not what happened at all!"

"Well the Tardis gave you my letter as soon as the hologram failed, correct?" She asked through clenched teeth.

"Well…give or take a few minutes, but yes." He said carefully.

"And you said you came strait here after reading it?" She continued, her words practically hissed.

"Yes. Yes I did." He said quickly, figuring there was nothing she could find to complain about that answer.

"And yet somehow, in the few minutes between parting with me forever and finding out it was possible to see me again, you acquired a new companion?" She demanded incredulously.

"No! I mean yes, but not really, she just showed up. It's not like invited her along." He protested.

"She just 'showed up' in the Tardis?" Rose asked, looking at him disbelievingly.

"Yes, that's exactly what happened. I have no idea how she got there. You have to believe me Rose." He implored.

"Well…alright. I believe you." She said finally.

The words were no sooner out of her mouth than a redheaded woman in a wedding dress burst into the room, almost falling over from exhaustion. She was out of breath, dripping with sweat, and her eyes were wild as she thrust an accusing finger in The Doctor's direction, "He kidnapped me! That bloody Martian kidnapped me! Somebody call the police! "

**To Be Continued**


	32. Chapter 32

Between a combination of my sister and her kids moving back in with me, my dad getting hurt and going to the hospital, and computer trouble, I've been having a hard time updating. Sorry about that. Here's a chapter, finally.

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"Really." Rose said, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at The Doctor.

"Not really!" The Doctor protested. He threw the redhead a pained glance. "I told you to wait in the Tardis."

"That's not even a proper word! You are just making things up!" The woman shouted back, her adequately sized chest heaving under her white gown. "I've told you, I have a wedding to go too!" She then turned to Rose, who was still glaring at The Doctor. "You be careful of him! He'll kidnap you too. " She warned, and then leaned forward conspiratorially, "I'm not the first; I found a woman's jacket in his Martian machine!"

Rose set accusing brown eyes on The Doctor, repeating her previous statement with more force. "_Really_."

"Only yours!" The Doctor explained, throwing his hands up with the wounded expression of someone who was unjustly being attacked, "She's talking about _your_ jacket."

The redhead was about to comment when her eyes fell on Jack and she suddenly changed her tone. "Oh, oh the stress. I think I'm feeling feint." She cried abruptly, fanning herself. She then propelled herself forward, obviously by her own will, and draped herself across him.

Jack stood very still, and his blue eyes looked at the Doctor a little desperately. He was clearly irritated to suddenly have a very sweaty, slightly overweight woman, in his arms. The Doctor shook his head vigorously in an attempt to distance himself from the situation. Jack, apparently on his own, ventured, "There's…um, there is a bed right next to you…"

"No, I'm good here." The woman said without opening her eyes.

Jack gently but firmly removed her from his person, setting her on the bed. She lay on it with her hand to her forehead, clearly disappointed, but genuinely tired enough at the moment not to argue. Jack straitened his military coat in the awkward silence that ensued afterwards.

Rose broke the silence with a snort, she couldn't help but smile at the woman's dramatics. She finally gave The Doctor the hug he wanted. "All right, I believe you." She laughed, "There's no way you picked up _her _on purpose."

"You're all in this together!" The woman gasped, her eyes widening with the horror of her sudden realization. "Oh, I should have known." She sat up and scooted to the far edge of the bed so that her back was against the wall, eyeing them all suspiciously. "Come any closer and I'll slap you silly! I'm warning you!"

Rose sighed, turning to the woman with a kind expression, "Look here, we are not trying to kidnap you. We're all friends. We will get you to your wedding as soon as we can. We just have to get a few things sorted out first." She held up a hand as the woman began an outraged response, "You won't be late; I promise. This man has a time machine. He can get you back to the exact second you left; it will be like you've never gone."

The woman, while still upset, looked a little placated. Rose took it as encouragement and asked in her friendliest voice, "I'm Rose…what's your name?"

"Donna. Donna Noble." The woman replied, enunciated each syllable in a way that suggested she thought little of Rose's intellect.

"Well alright Donna, just give us a minute to get things figured out and we'll help you get where you need to be." Rose said.

The Doctor had been silent for all this time, glad that Rose seemed to know how to deal with this woman, considering he was at a loss. Now he repeated his previous question. "Have we got any more paper?"

"Well don't look at me." Donna muttered. "I'm in a bloody wedding gown."

**To Be Continued**


	33. Chapter 33

"I only asked for one sheet of paper…do you want me to go look for more?" Rose asked.

"You'll have too." The Doctor replied. "You are the only one of us that is supposed to be here."

"Alright…" She squeezed his hand, looking up into his brown eyes. "You just stay where you are, you hear me?" She said in what was meant to be a threatening voice, but came out on the verge of tears.

He returned her gaze solemnly, pushing back a strand of her blonde hair, and then brushed his lips across her forehead. "I'm not going anywhere."

"You better not." She returned fiercely, starting out the door. "I'll be right back."

Jack watched the motion of her backside beneath her sweatpants as she left and whistled, turning to the others with a grin, "She's still got an excellent bottom, that one."

The Doctor frowned at him, uttering a quiet but forceful, "Stop it."

"So, you, gorgeous bloke in the military getup, what's your name?" Donna, who was still lying on the bed, asked, giving Jack an appreciative glance.

"I thought you were getting married." The Doctor muttered.

"Well If you hadn't kidnapped me I would be!" Donna snapped.

"How many times do I have to tell you, I did not kidnap you!" The Doctor groaned in frustration. He walked over to the other bed and sat down, taking off his brown overcoat and setting it to the side. "It's bloody hot in here."

"Hellooo, I asked you a question. And I know you speak English because you kindly told me to sod off earlier." Donna persisted.

"Captain Jack Harkness." Jack replied in a disinterested tone, still standing.

"I think we should take the Captain with us." Donna informed The Doctor.

"Do you now? And what would your husband think of that, I wonder?" He returned, lying wearily back in the bed.

"Well we could ask him- IF YOU HADN'T KIDNAPPED ME!" She shouted back.

"You know, I'm actually starting to like this girl." Jack said, flashing his most charming smile. "Take the Captain with you, why don't you?"

"No." The Doctor stated flatly.

Donna rolled her eyes, "It's the least you could do since you-"

"I know, I know, since I kidnapped you. Well too bad. He's not coming with us." The Doctor put the pillow over his head and rolled over on his side to face the wall, ignoring both their protests. "Wake me up when Rose get's back."

"You must be getting tired with all that standing…there's room on this bed for two you know." Donna said, turning her attention back to Jack and patting the mattress.

Jack stared at the small single bed, tilted his head to the side a moment, and then said "Hell, why not?

Rose walked to the main desk at the entrance. The reptilian host behind the counter gave her a lipless smile. She wondered if it was the same one from before. She felt bad that she couldn't tell. "I was wondering if you had any paper." Rose asked, after a moment of fidgeting silence. She felt very nervous, and wanted to get back to the room as soon as possible. So much could go wrong. They were playing with fate here, and fate was known to be fickle.

The snakeman reached under the desk, pulled out a tablet of resort stationary, and handed it to her.  
"Uh…thanks." Rose said, giving him a smile that was all teeth and didn't reach her eyes. She hurried away, rounding a corner just in time to bump into a familiar man's bare white chest.

**To Be Continued**

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Sorry I haven't been updating as much guys. It's alot busier around my house these days.


	34. Chapter 34

"Rose!" The Doctor cried out in surprised delight, steadying her with a hand. He beamed down at her with warm brown eyes, and then tilted his head in confusion, "I thought you were taking a nap?"

"Uh- I was. All done now." Rose said quickly.

"Well it seems to have done you good. You're positively glowing." He observed, studying her flushed cheeks.

"Heh, yes. Nothing like a good sno- uh, sleep." She stammered, putting the pad of paper behind her back in a nervous reaction.

"I see…" He raised his eyebrows. "And what's that you've got behind your back?"

"Oh! Uh, it's just paper. See, paper!" She waved the pad in his face, laughing uneasily.

"Right. So what do you need paper for?" He inquired, gently pushing the notepad away.

"Um. To write things on." She said evasively. "So I'll just go…write things." Rose started walking back toward the room, hoping he wouldn't follow. She cringed when he caught up with her a moment later, throwing a friendly arm around her shoulder.

"I was actually on the way back to the room to change myself. It was a nice tour but I'm getting tired of being sandy and wet. "The Doctor gave a little wriggle, tugging at his blue swim shorts. "It's becoming rather uncomfortable." He confided with a grimace.

Rose stopped walking abruptly, turning back to face him. "But you can't!" She cried.

He stopped, looking confused and a bit hurt. "I can't?" He repeated slowly.

"No!" She said. "Because-because I'm writing you a letter. And you can't read it till I'm done." She added the last part quickly and in a firmer tone, continuing to walk to her destination.

"Well…why can't you just tell me whatever your writing?" The Doctor asked, still following. "Not to be rude or anything, but I'm pretty anxious to get out of these clothes."

Rose, for no apparent reason to The Doctor, flushed red, and her next reply was even more stammered than the last. "Well because I just can't. So you'll- you'll just have to keep your clothes on. For now."

"You don't want me to go in the room." The Doctor said, narrowing his eyes at her. "Why don't you want me to go in the room?"

"Don't be ridiculous. I just have to write a letter, that's all." She said.

"To me! And I can't even be in the same room with you when you write it!" He protested, trying to point out what he considered flawed logic on her part.

"Yup." She reached the door, opened it quickly, and attempted to slam it shut in his face. The Doctor's curiosity overcame his attempts to reason with her, and he pushed past her and into the room just in time to hear Donna recounting the end of an apparently very humorous tale.

"I'm sooo glad I was a temp, and I didn't ever have to see any of those people again. To think I'd been walking around like that the entire day and none of them told me! So embarrassing! " Donna exclaimed. She was sitting cross-legged on the bed, with her wedding dress hiked up to her knees, facing Jack.

He gave another roar of laughter, and placed a hand on her bare arm, "Well you have to admit it at least gave you a hilarious story to tell."

Donna started to answer, when she spotted The Doctor standing in the door way. She crawled backward on the bed so fast that she bumped her head into the wall. "Oh God," She gasped in horror, "there's two of them!"

Jack looked at The Doctor appreciatively, flashing a flirtatious smirk. "Nice shorts."

The Doctor gave an absentminded "Thank you," staring past him to his future self, who was still laying on the bed. He'd added his shoes, socks, and tie on top of his overcoat on the floor beside his bed. He'd also completely unbuttoned his suit jacket and undone several of his white collared shirt's top buttons. The Doctor shifted restlessly in his sleep, his eyes moving frantically beneath his lids. His skin was flushed, and his hair was damp with sweat. "Rose…" The Doctor in the doorway said with a frown, "I don't look so good. Somehow I think even a 'good snog' " Here he gave her a pointed glance, "doesn't make someone that flushed."

* * *

I've been feeling awful the last few days. Going to see the doctor today (not The Doctor, sadly) hopefully he'll make me better. Have a chapter! :)


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